Excess weight is now considered an epidemic in America. The number and percentage of overweight Americans is growing rapidly. Worldwide, increased weight trends are observed in almost every developed country. This problem is based at least in part on poor diet/nutrition and lack of exercise.
Current diet and preventive programs are largely ineffective. The continued progression of Obesity (as well as poor diet) is a major contributing factor to a predisposition for developing chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. In fact, adult type II diabetes increased by about one-third in the past ten years. This increase was greatest in the 30 to 40 year old age group. Yet, while the problems worsen, the amount of money spent on diet-related solutions continues to rise. Expenditures for dietary and nutritional problems currently exceed $100 billion annually, including $40 billion each for weight loss and diabetes. Moreover, on an individual basis, people are willing to spend substantial sums to attempt solutions. For example, the average commercial weight loss customer spends between $1,500 and $5,000 per year, often without any significant lasting benefits.
Based on the history of most preventive health programs, however, the health care system is unlikely to transform this understanding into useful information at the personal class, however. Poor diet, nutrition and lifestyle have increased, not decreased, in the past twenty years despite massive public attention and information programs by government, the health profession and academia. Accordingly, these problems have translated into a alarming increase in obesity in America in the past ten years and an unprecedented rise in lifestyle and nutrition related diseases.
Although there exists a number of new and convention methods for good health, diet and nutrition, they simply are not working. Experts have advised the Federal Trade Commission that only one in twenty people are able to lose weight and keep it off with current diet/exercise plans.
The failure of these diet models is due to one or more problems. For example, many programs require people to travel to a facility at inconvenient times (e.g., during normal business hours and shortly thereafter). Almost all programs provide too much information which is hard to digest, remember and use. People are often left on their own to work out a course of action. Little attention is often paid to a person's individual problems and/or needs. Furthermore, many diet plans are too complicated for sustained use.
Another major health trend facing the developed world is the ability to determine an individual's predisposition for developing a disease based on the individual's genetic makeup. The advances in genomics mean it will soon be possible to screen people for defective genes before the manifestation of the defect becomes apparent. Moreover, unraveling of the human genome will also vastly improve knowledge of molecular and biochemical processes. Such knowledge will thus provide a better understanding of how diet/nutrients affect our health and well being.
Compelling links are known to exist between genetics, nutrition, and disease. Nutritional imbalance is associated with a variety of chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, arthritis, obesity, asthma, allergy, and lower immunities. Adjusting diets and ingesting certain nutrients and dietary supplements are known to lower the risks of many conditions, including heart disease, osteoporosis and some cancers.
Accordingly, there is a need to develop systems and method for creating and implementing health, well-being and diet/nutrition plans that will help prevent diseases. These and other drawbacks exist.